Whole-Genome Identification and Analysis of Multiple Gene Families Reveal Candidate Genes for Theasaponin Biosynthesis in .

is an economically important oilseed tree. Seed meals of have a long history of use as biocontrol agents in shrimp farming and as cleaning agents in peoples' daily lives due to the presence of theasaponins, the triterpene saponins from the genus . To characterize the biosynthetic pathway of theasaponins in , members of gene families involved in triterpenoid biosynthetic pathways were identified and subjected to phylogenetic analysis with corresponding members in , , , , and In total, 143 triterpenoid backbone biosynthetic genes, 1169 CYP450s, and 1019 UGTs were identified in . The expression profiles of triterpenoid backbone biosynthetic genes were analyzed in different tissue and seed developmental stages of . The results suggested that MVA is the main pathway for triterpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Moreover, the candidate genes for theasaponin biosynthesis were identified by WGCNA and qRT-PCR analysis; these included 11 , 14 , and eight transcription factors. Our results provide valuable information for further research investigating the biosynthetic and regulatory network of theasaponins.